Schulich School of Music

The Schulich School of Musicf
Location
Strathcona Music Building, 555 Sherbrooke Street West
Canada, Quebec
Information
Type Public
Established 1904
Enrollment Approximately 875
Campus Urban
Information 514-398-4535
Website

The Schulich School of Music (also known as Schulich) is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University in Montréal, Canada. The faculty was named after benefactor Seymour Schulich.

Contents

History

Music at McGill – The Beginning

Music teaching began in 1884, although the program was first reserved for women. In 1889, a teaching specialist was engaged at the request of the students by a gift from the university's Chancellor, Donald A. Smith, Lord Strathcona. In 1896, the Royal Victoria College for girls by Lord Strathcona was founded. In September 1899, the Royal Victoria College was opened, and pianist Clara Lichtenstein (1860–1946) arrived on the invitation of Lord Strathcona. In 1902, examinations of the Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music of London were introduced.

McGill Conservatorium of Music

Faculty of Music

Faculty of Music and Conservatorium of Music (1957–1978)

New Name - New Century - New Building

Departments

Performance

The performance programs at the Schulich School of Music provide students with private lessons and performing opportunities in university ensembles, in addition to studies in the history and theory of music.

Areas

The Department of Performance oversees the following areas and area chairs:

Department of Performance areas and area chairs 2008-2009
Area Area Chair(s)
Guitar Performance Garry Antonio
Early Music Hank Knox and John Grew
Jazz Jan Jarczyk
Opera Patrick Hansen
Organ and Church Music John Grew
Piano Tom Plaunt
Strings Jonathon Crow
Voice Valerie Kinslow
Woodwinds Abe Kestenberg and Normand Forget
Brass Alain Cazes and Sasha Johnson
Percussion Aiyun Huang

Music research

Areas

The Department of Music Research oversees the following areas and area chair(s).

Department of Research Areas & Area Chairs 2008-2009
Area Area Chair(s)
Music Composition Jean Lesage
Music Education Lisa Lorenzino
Music History/Musicology Roe-Min Kok
Music Technology Gary Scavone
Music Theory Jonathan Wild
Sound Recording René Quesnel

Degrees and programs

The diploma of Licentiate in Music is a three-year program for instrumentalists and singers who want to focus on their practical skills, and limit their theoretical and historical studies.

The Artist Diploma program is for gifted performers who show promise for a professional career as a performer.

For students who want a broader liberal arts education, a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music is also available. The Schulich School of Music believes that students should get a "substantial proportion of their instruction from full-time professorial staff rather than from teaching assistants."[1] The Music Research Department organizes public lectures every year and sponsored conventions for major musical societies. See Special Events and Conferences.

Performing ensembles

Instrumental

Jazz

Vocal

Opera McGill

Opera McGill was hailed by Opera Canada magazine as "the premiere program in Canada."[2] Since the appointment of Patrick Hansen to Director of Opera Studies, Opera McGill has undergone many changes. In an interview with La Scena Musicale magazine Hansen said: "My focus here, is to figure out the strengths and weakness of the program and how to make it absolutely one of the best in the world."[3] Every year, Opera McGill produces at least three operas on the Pollack Hall stage. During the past four years, the Lisl Wirth Black Box Festival has seen productions of "Albert Herring", "La Rondine", "Dialogues des Carmelites", and "Hänsel und Gretel". For the mainstage, productions of classic opera repertoire have included "Così fan tutte", "The Rape of Lucretia", "The Rake's Progress", and "La bohème". Each year, Opera McGill collaborates with the Early Music Program at Schulich to produce a baroque opera (accompanied by period instruments and in period tunings). The last four years have seen productions of "Alcina", "Thésée", "Agrippina", and "Imeneo".

Orchestral Training Program

The Orchestral Training Program (OTP) is for students studying an orchestral instrument. The McGill Symphony Orchestra, which is conducted by Alexis Hauser, is the most senior orchestra for the university.

Facilities

The Schulich School of Music has two main buildings on campus. The Strathcona Music Building and the New Music Building.

The Strathcona Music Building was originally home to the Royal Victoria College, the women's College of McGill University. Presently, the building has two wings referred to as the Center Wing and the East Wing. The Center Wing is home to a concert hall (Pollack Hall), a small recital hall (Clara Lichenstein Recital Hall), a large lecture room, teaching studios, class rooms and ensemble rehearsal spaces. Pollack Hall is the largest performance venue at the Schulich School of Music with over 600 seats. The East Wing is situated in the middle of the Center wing of the Stracona Music Building and the New Music Building. The basement of the East Wing is home to the Music Undergraduate Students' Association office, the students' newspaper office (The Phonograph) and a student cafeteria. The second, third, four and fifth floors which normally house the teaching assistants' offices and the practice rooms for instrumentalists, pianist and vocalists are currently being renovated.

The New Music Building (NMB) was built in 2005 thanks to a $20 million gift from McGill grad Seymour Schulich. The building has 8 floors above ground and two below ground. The bottom floor is known as -2 (minus 2) and is home to the Wirth Opera Studio (name after Manfred and Eliza Wirth), the Music Multimedia Room (MMR) as well as smaller recording studios. The first floor is home to a spacious lobby. On the first and the second floor are entrances to Tanna Schulich Hall, an intimate performance venue which seats 187 people. The third, fourth and fifth floor of the NMB are home to the Marvin Duchow Music Library. The Gertrude Whitley Performance Library and the Music Student Computer Room which was updated during the fall of 2008 can also be found on the fifth floor. The sixth floor is reserved for faculty office spaces. The seventh floor is the home of the Schulich School of Music administration and the 8th floor is home to CIRMMT.

Recitals and concerts are also frequently held at Redpath Hall on McGill University's main campus.

Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology is known as CIRMMT, pronounced "kermit". CIRMMT is a multi-disciplinary research centre involving researchers at McGill University, the University of Montreal and the University of Sherbrooke. The centre hosts six state-of-the-art research labs on the eighth floor of the New Music Building. The Centre's research axes are:

Student associations

Undergraduate

The Music Undergraduate Students' Association, also known as MUSA, actively represents the undergraduate student body of the Schulich School of Music.[4] Among other activities, the MUSA is responsible for the Musicians' Health Series which presents participatory and informational workshops that are of interest to musicians in training. It is made possible by funding from the Music Undergraduate Students' Association and the Schulich School of Music.

2008-2009 Highlights

Yoga for Musicians

Alexander Technique

Feldenkrais

Movement for Musicians

Practice Makes Perfect?

Preparing Mentally for a Performance

Graduate

The Music Graduate Students' Society, also known as MGSS, represents the graduate student body of the Schulich School of Music.

Notable people

Faculty

Each year, professional musicians and scholars come to the school to give master classes and guest lectures or to serve as visiting artists, conductors, and faculty.

Among the school's acclaimed faculty are:

  • Stefano Algieri, Tenor
  • Theodore Baskin, Oboe (Principal, MSO)
  • Denis Bluteau, Flute
  • Denys Bouliane, Composer and Conductor
  • William Caplin, Theorist
  • Edward Carroll (musician), Trumpet
  • Brian Cherney, Composer
  • Carolyn Christie, Flute (2nd Flute, MSO)
  • Jonathan Crow, Violin
  • Robert Crowley, Clarinet (Principal, MSO)
  • Kevin Dean, Jazz Trumpet
  • Alain Desgagne, Clarinet (Associate Principal, MSO)
  • Michael Dumouchel, Clarinet (2nd & Eb Clarinet, MSO)
  • Martha de Francisco, Sound Recording
  • Sean Ferguson, Composition, Director of the McGill Digital Composition Studios
  • Mark Fewer, Violin (Former Concertmaster, VSO)
  • Lori Freedman, Clarinet
  • Julia Gavrilova, Dr., Piano
  • Kenneth Gilbert, Harpsichord
  • Matt Haimovitz, Cello
  • Patrick Hansen, Master Coach (Former Artistic Admin Florida Grand Opera)
  • Alexis Hauser, Conductor
  • Timothy Hutchins, Flute (Principal, MSO)
  • Hank Knox, Harpsichord
  • Kyoko Hashimoto, Piano
  • Joanne Kolomyjec, Soprano
  • Dave Laing, Jazz Drums
  • Sara Laimon, Piano
  • Stéphane Lévesque (Principal, MSO)
  • Denise Lupien, Violin (Former Concertmaster, Orchestre Métropolitain)
  • Brian Manker, Cello, (Principal, MSO)
  • Marina Mdivani, Piano
  • Paul Merkelo, Trumpet
  • Michael McMahon, Coach and Collaborator
  • Sandy Pearlman, Producer
  • Joel Quarrington, Double Bass
  • Ranee Lee, Vocal Jazz
  • Richard Raymond, Piano
  • John Rea, Composer
  • Richard Roberts, violin, (Concertmaster, MSO)
  • Sanford Sylvan, Baritone
  • Julian Wachner, Conductor
  • Andre White, Jazz Piano, Drums
  • John Zirbel, Horn (Principal, MSO)
  • Denys Derome, Horn (Associate Principal, MSO)

Alumni

Many of its alumni have gone on to distinguished careers. Among them are:

Schulich Visiting Scholar and Catherine Thornton-Steele Chair

2009-2010

Dorothy Morton Visiting Artist:

Year of Woodwinds:

2008-2009

Brass Year:

2007-2008:

Schulich Ambassadors

The Schulich Ambassador Program consists of a select group of student leaders who serve as contacts for prospective students, visitors and friends of the Schulich School of Music. Prospective students may contact the recruitment office and request a tour of the music facilities or to participate in the Student-for-a-Day Program with a Schulich Ambassador.

Awards

The Schulich School of Music's Golden Violin Award is the largest privately funded music scholarship in Canada. The prize is $20,000 and is awarded to the top string player who is close to completing studies and has demonstrated the potential for a successful performing career.

The Golden Violin, made of pewter and gold plate, remains on permanent display in McGill’s Marvin Duchow Music Library. Its recipients, chosen by the McGill scholarships committee, receive a smaller likeness in the form of a 14-karat gold lapel pin.

Special events and conferences

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

2003-2004

Photo gallery

Further reading

McGill's new music lab (The Gazette)

Did you know: Facts about McGill's internationally ranked music program (canadian-universities.net)

Seymour Schulich's golden encore (canadian-universities.net)

McGill University Celebrates 100 Years of Music (La Scena Musicale)

POP MONTREAL: McGill to host sixth annual Future of Music Policy Summit (McGill Tribune)

References

  1. ^ http://www.mcgill.ca/music/theory/ Schulich School of Music Quote
  2. ^ http://www.mcgill.ca/music/performance/opera/ Opera Canada Quote
  3. ^ Patrick Hansen Fine-Tunes Opera McGill p.52 La Scena Musicale by Nisa Malli. November 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  4. ^ http://www.mcgillmusa.ca Music Undergraduate Students' Association Website Retrieved April 29, 2009.
  5. ^ http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~cp/pdf_files/08-09/AnnualCalendar_2008-9_v-sept_26.pdf Concerts p.3 Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  6. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/mcgillconcert/includes/CBCMcGillConcertFlyer.Eng.pdf 30th Annual McGill/CBC Concert Series
  7. ^ http://www.music.mcgill.ca/musimars/ MusiMars Website
  8. ^ http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/events/item/?item_id=103294 MusiMars Information

External links